A crevasse is a deep crack that forms in a glacier or ice sheet. Crevasses form as a result of the movement and resulting stress associated with the shear stress generated when two semi-rigid pieces above a plastic substrate have different rates of movement. The resulting intensity of the shear stress causes a breakage along the faces.
6-693: Sørsdal Glacier ( 68°41′S 78°15′E / 68.683°S 78.250°E / -68.683; 78.250 ) is a heavily crevassed glacier on the Ingrid Christensen Coast of Princess Elizabeth Land in Antarctica , 15 nautical miles (28 km) long, flowing westward along the south side of Krok Fjord and the Vestfold Hills and terminating in a prominent glacier tongue at Prydz Bay . Discovered in February 1935 by
12-476: A glacier in Princess Elizabeth Land is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Crevasse Crevasses often have vertical or near-vertical walls, which can then melt and create seracs , arches , and other ice formations . These walls sometimes expose layers that represent the glacier's stratigraphy . Crevasse size often depends upon the amount of liquid water present in
18-584: A Norwegian expedition under Captain Klarius Mikkelsen and named for Lief Sørsdal , a Norwegian dentist and a member of the party from the whaling ship Thorshavn that landed at the northern end of the Vestfold Hills. The Sørsdal Glacier Tongue ( 68°42′S 78°0′E / 68.700°S 78.000°E / -68.700; 78.000 ) is the prominent seaward extension of Sørsdal Glacier into Prydz Bay . This article about
24-485: Is often a cause of death when falling into a crevasse. A crevasse may be covered, but not necessarily filled, by a snow bridge made of the previous years' accumulation and snow drifts. The result is that crevasses are rendered invisible, and thus potentially lethal to anyone attempting to navigate across a glacier. Occasionally a snow bridge over an old crevasse may begin to sag, providing some landscape relief, but this cannot be relied upon. The danger of falling into
30-479: The bed and accelerate ice flow. Direct drains of water from the top of a glacier, known as moulins , can also contribute the lubrication and acceleration of ice flow. Falling into glacial crevasses can be dangerous and life-threatening. Some glacial crevasses (such as on the Khumbu Icefall at Mount Everest ) can be 50 metres (160 ft) deep, which can cause fatal injuries upon falling. Hypothermia
36-441: The glacier. A crevasse may be as deep as 45 metres (150 ft) and as wide as 20 metres (70 ft) The presence of water in a crevasse can significantly increase its penetration. Water-filled crevasses may reach the bottom of glaciers or ice sheets and provide a direct hydrologic connection between the surface, where significant summer melting occurs, and the bed of the glacier, where additional water may moisten and lubricate
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